Thomas Hardy's Ale (2003 - 2008)
Hanlons Brewery in Exeter, Devon, England 🏴
Traditional Beer - Old Ale Regular Out of Production|
Score
7.93
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Scarce, subtle and complex, Thomas Hardy’s Ale is the beer enthusiast’s equivalent of rare cognac. Bottle-conditioned to mature in the bottle like fine wine, this old ale/barley wine will improve with age for at least 26 years (and we’re still counting!). Not for the faint of palate, especially when young and brash, maturity brings an elegance of flavors unmatched by any other beer—if you have the patience to cellar it for at least a decade.
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8.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9
Flaske (nr. 14192 årgang 2006) delt med Egil på Cardinal des-12: noe av det mest eksklusive vi noen gang har smakt. Meget kompleks aroma med bl.a sviskeplommer, og smaker mer som en førsteklasses sherry eller hvit portvin, med verdens lengste ettersmak. Fantastisk vinøs og behagelig, jeg smatter og koser meg med alle inntrykkene. Alderen til tross har den friskhet kombinert med litt syrlig sødme. Dette er stort. Synd det var den nest siste flasken på Cardinal, men heldigvis har jeg noen flasker av andre årganger i kjelleren. Til de helt store anledninger (f.eks egen bursdag eller gravøl). Flaske nr. 1410, 2008-årgangen, 11,7%, etter bestemors bortgang - en verdig øl når du trenger å sitte i kontemplativ ro og minnes. Omdreiningshastigheten er merkbar men ikke plagsom. MobpF versjon 7.0 (18.05.20), og vi er nå klar til en parallellsmaking av kveldens hovedattraksjon (2006: flaske nr. 14575, 2007: nr. 3250 og 2008: nr. 7854). Identisk utseende (vakker rødlig mahogny) helt uten skum, bortsett fra 2008-utgaven som hadde litt futt og antydning til skum. Vederkvegende og kompleks smak med sviskeplommer, madeiramarinerte rosiner, lær, dyr sherry og årgangsportvin (jeg minnes Knut Øvreberg og hans vinkjeller). 2007 noe søtere enn 2006. 2008 har en svakt perlende munnfølelse som fremhever de edle kvalitetene. Et klarsyn blander seg i promillen, disse gir meg tilbake troen på det gode i mennesket.
Tried
on 30 Dec 2012
at 03:13
6.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
Big thanks for Lithy for these, I’ll never be able to pay him back for this lived experience. Had these 2003-2005 TH’s at the RB Pittsburgh December 2012 Post Apocalyptic Beer Tasting. James and Justin provided carefully guided beer experiences with these beers. First I thought I was in for an American wanna be style BW blast but it ended up being much more like the lees harvest experience of the past. Though I rate this review for all three, each has a different number rating. The 2003 looks like flat root beer. Smell is just plain old old beer. Perfectly flat. Quite strong on the initial taste. Mouth coating nice sherry feel to it, in a pleasant way. For a ten year old beer, this stuff is pretty good. The 2004 is sweet smelling like fine wine. A dark beer with plenty of sparkling going on. Decvent co2 on the tongue too. A little weird and unique in some respects on the tongue. Yes, goes down like fine wine. Nice easy sweeter appeal. For the 2005, a very mild smell. Some mild co2 on the tongue but the 2004 had more. Smooth and easy and like the 2004 it goes down like fine wine, a sipping drink fer sure. Does have some alky heat in there. This one finishes up with a warming effect. Over all, for all the brews, I am quite surprised about liking real old well made barley wines. After all those harsh American bullshit BW’s, I was afraid to keep trying but now I’m glad I did. Where have these fine English style BW been for the last 6 years?
Tried
from Bottle
from
Vintage Estate Wine and Beer
on 24 Dec 2012
at 08:52
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle. Average of vintage 04, 05, 06, 07, 08. Dark brown colour with a beige head. Aroma is alcohol, sugar, licorice, caramel. Flavour is alcohol, sugar, licorice, caramel, hop. full body. Nice beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 Oct 2012
at 09:15
8/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9
250 ml bottle courtesy of Marsiblursi. 2005 vintage. Pours hazy reddish brown with no head. Smell is sweet and very malty with sweet dark bread, dates, prunes, figs, caramel, dry wood, alcohol, dry soil, lemon zest, brown sugar and hints of pine. Taste is intense, sweet, very tiny sour and extremely malty with sweet dark bread, figs, dates, caramel, liquorice root, golden syrup, orange zest, toffee, alcohol and hints of moist tobacco. Mouthfeel is intense, sticky sweet, boozy and full bodied. Finish is sweet, tiny bitter and tiny sour with caramel, sweet dark bread, orange zest, prunes, figs, dates, alcohol and golden syrup. Intense and impressive.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Aug 2012
at 14:31
7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
As a part of an extensive sampling of Thomas Hardy vintages from both breweries carried out 8. June 2012. This rating is an average of 04,05,06,07 and 08 vintage. Clear amber body with with a thin layer of beige head or practical no head. Noble aroma of caramel, candy sugar, dry fruit and warming alcohol. Flavor is sweet caramel malt, dry fruit like raisins, spices, plain bitterness and Sherry alcoholic. Full body and long aftertaste. Very nice and balanced.
Tried
from Can
on 27 Jun 2012
at 23:43
8.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9.5
Tänk att några års lagring kan förvandla en redan fantastisk öl till en magisk och magnifik smakupplevelse.
Tried
on 21 May 2012
at 05:18
8.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
30/06/2011 Birra+ (Vintage 2005). Degustazione da Birra+. Ambrata scura, con riflessi color rame e rubino, schiuma praticamente assente. Aroma intensissimo di malto, dolciastro, frutta matura e uva, con note legnose pungenti e vivissime. In bocca è spigoloso e ruvido, dolciastro, con note legnose, resinose, astringenti, finale bruciato, molto complesso. Corpo pieno, carbonazione soft, praticamente piatta. Barley Wine straordinario, tra i migliori mai assaggiati, invecchiato benissimo.
Tried
on 17 May 2012
at 05:37
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
25cl bottle courtesy of and shared with gnoff. Bottle # 4548, vintage 2005. Brune foncée voire acajou, léger crémeux disparaissant vite, qcq bulles à la surface. Arôme de malt caramel, toffee et fermenté de fruits noirs, presque une pointe de soja. En bouche, alcool réchauffant, caramel et toffee, malté, alcool bien là, note grillée, fruits noirs collant aux lèvres, confit prune, date, cassis et au fini un léger aspect vin chaud, le tout sur une note soja et vineux, fruits caramélisés.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 May 2012
at 02:23
8/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 6
Overall 9
Bottle thanks to urbancaver. U can smell from almost across the room but in a good way. Tastes like the nose of rich toffee, malt, dried fruit, honey, ginger, and light licorice. Creamy mouthfeel and only slight sticky. Some warming booze but not overwellmingly so. Nice Friday night brew as I watch sic fi classic blade runner
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Mar 2012
at 18:00
7.1/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottled. Vintage 2003 sampled in 2012 side by side with a vintage 1998. A murky brown beer with no head - the 1998 is a clear dark amber. The aroma is sweet with notes of caramel, malt, and alcohol. The flavor is sweet with notes of caramel, wood, nuts, and malt, leading to a dry alcoholic finish. The alcohol burns slightly on the tongue. I like the older version better.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Jan 2012
at 12:33